Easing the Burden of Care

Oncologist Christina Wiedl, DO, joined Children’s National in 2021 with a specific goal: help make it easier for families throughout Virginia to get care. “Everything going on with a child impacts their whole family,” she says. Add a chronic illness and frequent clinic or hospital visits, and the burden balloons to include a 60-mile trip each way to the main campus. This creates obstacles for families related to childcare, work, school, finances, and emotional health and well-being. 

Dr. Wiedl grew up understanding such challenges. Her father had a rare blood disorder. She says making it easier for families to navigate the complex healthcare system became her calling. Today, our Fredericksburg location includes care in cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, urology, immunology, bone marrow transplant, oncology and hematology. It also has a laboratory as well as infusion and physical therapy services. 

Not long after Fredericksburg added oncology-related treatments, Dr. Wiedl saw a patient who required a transfusion. “Immediately mom started texting frantically to juggle her day so she could get to the main campus and back,” Dr. Wiedl says. “She cried happy tears when she realized we could do the transfusion on-site and that she’d be home to meet her other kids at the bus stop. That felt amazing.”